Romance in the Snow
by TheEternalWinry
Summary: This is just a little story about Dark and Riku after he follows her on a ski trip in the mountains of Colorado. He has his own body now.


This is just a little DN A fanfic. I love Colorado, and I guess it shows. My love for DN Angel and Colorado kinda spilled out. Forgive me. R+R, please. I know, everyone says that. But it's the truth!

As the bell rang, the reaction of the students was different from other days. Cheering, streamers, confetti. It was Christmas vacation, and this year, it's going to be an extra two weeks on top of the other two and a half weeks. That's a month and a half.

And I, Riku Harada, was leaving behind my bad break up with Niwa by going on a three week vacation to the Rocky Mountains in Colorado in America with my sister Risa. We were staying in a five star ski lodge in Aspen with our own private wing, with a direct access to the bunny hills. I couldn't wait; I'd heard Colorado was beautiful, even in the winter. Especially in the winter. Now all I had to do was go home, pack the vitals, and fly like a bat out of hell to the airport.

No school, homework, or awkwardness with Niwa-kun for almost five weeks. Woo-hoo!

Uh-oh. Speak of the devil, here he comes! Niwa-kun was looking my way and inching toward my seat.

As fast as I could I threw my stuff into my bag and made for the door. I almost made it, but Niwa was faster than me.

"Miss Riku," he started, and I winced. He still called me that, six months after we'd broken up, which was three months after Dark disappeared.

Dark…. For some reason, he'd been on my mind since he disappeared. I kept wondering where he went, what he was doing, when he'd come back….

I didn't want to ask Niwa any of these things. But no matter what we were doing, his other half was on my mind. That was why we'd broken up. I couldn't handle the fear that I'd fallen for the Phantom Thief. In my mind, that was a fate worse than death.

But I was going to America to put all that behind me. It was a new place where memories didn't haunt every street corner. I'd clear my head and come home completely fine.

But now I had to deal with Niwa, who was right in front of me with his mouth open, about to say something I really didn't want to hear. I was about to walk away when he said the last thing I ever expected to hear, "Dark has returned."

My mouth hung open. "I thought he was gone."

"He found his way back, Miss Riku, and he's asking for you."

_Oh, come on! What is this, Shojo manga?_ I thought. "Well then. I hope he stays far away from me." _Liar,_ I crooned to myself.

"Now, if you'll excuse me, I have a plane to catch." I turned and walked away.

"Miss Riku! Hold on a second!"

As soon as I was out of sight I was running. And then, half an hour later, I was in my seat on a plane. How we'd gotten there so fast I didn't care to know.

I stared out the window. I'd sacrificed dinner choices to Risa for this seat. I was not looking forward to rabbit food.

I gazed out as the men loaded our luggage into the cargo hold. I noticed a man running toward the plane, waving his arms frantically. _The idiot,_ I thought._ He'll never make it. They've already called final boarding._

But wait. He was holding a sign above his head. It said, "Riku, Don't Go!"

It was Dark.

The plane was moving. He was chasing after it, chasing after me as I left him behind. His hand was stretched out as he ran. "Riku!" he yelled, and I could almost hear him over the roar of the engines.

I pressed my hand to the glass of the window. _Dark…_

I gazed out the window for hours until I drifted into an uneasy sleep, dreaming of black feathers and snow.

I woke up when we began our descent. Even from here, Colorado was beautiful. I fell in love with it at first sight. I could tell it was beautiful in the summer by the shape of the trees.

We wove through the city and up through the mountains. Even with the heater on full blast it was cold. Risa squealed as the lodge came into her line of sight. I couldn't stop staring at the trees. They reminded me of the time Dark and Risa and I went into Niwa's painting.

I had to fight the urge to beat my head against the car window. _Stop thinking about him, idiot,_ I commanded myself. We were arriving in the carport. Some bellhops rushed to our side and unloaded our luggage. A few were smiling at Risa. The rest were smiling at me. Risa started flirting; I shut them down with a cold look.

I tipped the boys and shut the door promptly. As soon as I was sure they weren't waiting outside, I grabbed my skis and got dressed. Without a moment's hesitation, I flew out the screen door and onto the slopes. Literally, we were Right There.

I slid down the slopes elegantly, my years of practice showing immediately. I was doing great out there. Until, of course, I hit a bump of ice in the snow and went flying.

I waited for the crash. At this height, at the right angle, I'd kill myself at most. At least, I'd have frostbite for a month. Under the body cast.

The crash never came. I felt arms under me, and I realized that those arms didn't belong to the Angel of Death. I wasn't sure whether to feel relieved because I was alive or horrified because I knew whose arms I was in.

Dark smiled down at me. "Hello, Miss Riku," he said. "Are you having a pleasant fall to your death that I prevented?"

"Just set me down before I start screaming," I ordered.

He _tsked_. "Remember what I did last time you started screaming? I blocked you with a kiss. Want me to do that again? It would be my pleasure."

"No way in hell." My face was _not_ red. I refused to believe this idiot was making me blush. No way in hell.

The bastard smiled like he knew what I was thinking. _Of course he does,_ the stupid little voice of truth said. _It's written all over your face._

_Shut up,_ I told it.

His face was far too happy. "Are you having fun?" I demanded testily.

His grin widened. "Yes I am. You should have seen your face. It was so funny; I can't put words to it."

"Just put me down before I smack you."

He grinned again. That bastard.

When we touched down, he didn't let me go. He held me tighter. And when I started to protest, he leaned down and kissed me! And my face was _not_ red.

He kissed me so gently; it could have been a breath of wind touching me if I didn't know better. His arms were a cradle, holding me close, like he was terrified of both letting me go and losing me and breaking me into pieces. I wasn't sure which would happen either.

_These are the moments that love songs are all about,_ the voice whispered. I personally agreed.

Risa's voice pierced my beautiful moment. "Riku," she called. "Are you okay? Riku!"

Dark let me go without a word. I waved at Risa, and when I turned around to thank him, he was gone, vanished into the shadows of the trees. But I could feel his eyes on me.

Risa took my hand and literally hauled me up the mountain. She threw me into a chair and lectured me until my ears bled. Then she stormed off to dinner, grumbling.

I could feel Dark watching me from somewhere. I heaved a sigh and said, "Come in, come in. I know you're out there."

The door slid open. "Your ears are bleeding."

Told you. "Yeah, Risa gets worried, and when she gets worried, I get lectured. Like she's any better. Flirting with every guy she meets, including you."

"That's a bad thing? Risa flirting with me?"

"Well, sort of. I mean, it's not like I, you know, _like_ you or anything. It's just that… well…" I trailed off.

"You like me," he finished for me.

"That's not—"

"Riku." In one swift motion I was in his arms. "I won't judge you. In fact, in case you haven't noticed, I like you too. More than like. I love you, Riku. None but you."

My jaw dropped. I was silent for several minutes, eventually prompting him to say, "Okay, a little cheesy/corny/stupid, but heartfelt."

We both burst into laughter, falling silent when we heard Risa coming back. "Quick, hide!" I ordered, shoving him into the closet, closing the door behind us.

"Not—comfortable—" Dark choked out. "But worth it, to be this close to you."

"Shut it. Now's not the time."

"So when is?"

"Just shut up."

I could just _feel_ his smartass grin. I fought off an eye twitch.

Risa hummed around, assumed I'd gone off to get food, grabbed her purse, and left, locking the door behind her.

Dark and I let out our breath. "Okay, coast is clear. Out of my room."

"Awww, but can't I stay?"

"Sure!"

"Really?"

"No."

Dark and I…. well, I won't go into exactly what happened after that. He and I became lovers/friends/siblings. It's complicated. It still is. But his kisses still make me go weak at the knees.

And I'd die before _ever_ telling him that.


End file.
